Former Felicity star Keri Russell has signed on to play the lead in Dark Skies, the supernatural thriller written and to be directed by Scott Stewart for Dimension Films. The film is more modest-budget scare fare from Insidious and Paranormal Activity producers Blumhouse, with production to begin this summer.

Stewart wrote-directed Priest and Legion, and the film’s being produced by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum and Alliance Films, the latter of which is financing. Russell, whose film work includes Waitress and Mission: Impossible 3, is repped by WME and managed by The Burstein Company.

Dimension is distributing in the U.S. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Alliance Films’ Charles Layton will executive produce. Alliance Films will distribute in Canada, in the U.K. (via its Momentum Pictures subsidiary), and in Spain (via Aurum). Octane, IM Global’s genre division, is handling international rights.